Loop bin

ABSTRACT

A loop bin for an endless tape having long length contained in a zigzag fashion comprising a tape inlet from which the endless tape can be put in, a tape outlet from which the endless tape can be drawn out, and at least one tape transport mechanism provided substantially horizontal so as to divide an inside of the loop bin into cascading levels and for continuously feeding the zigzag endless tape on each level from the tape inlet to the tape outlet.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a loop bin for use in a tape transportarrangement, particularly to a loop bin for use in contact printing tapetransport arrangements that can transport an endless magnetic tape andcontain it in a zigzag line in its course of transportation.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Widespread use of home video recording and playback equipment hasincreased the demand for prerecorded cassettes, especially half-inchvideo cassettes. Fast production of such cassettes is difficult, becausevideo signals contain a large amount of information which must bereproduced with a high degree of accuracy to maintain adequate image andcolor standards.

At present, the preferred video recording method used by this industryis to use upward of 1,000 recording machines, all operatingsimultaneously, all receiving a realtime signal from one master playbackmachine to produce multiple copies. The logistics of providing, loading,unloading, operating and maintaining such multitude of relativelycomplex equipment makes reproduction a very expensive process.

Another approach to magnetic recording duplication is non-realtimeduplication known as magnetic replication. In this type of duplication,the signal pattern from a master tape is replicated directly on thereceiving tape at very high speed. The magnetic pattern in this processis copied onto a receiving tape in much the same way as a visible imageis printed through a high speed press onto a sheet of paper. As aresult, the term contact printing has sometimes been used to designate aprocess of transferring information contained in one recording medium toa second recording medium directly, without an intermediate step ofgenerating an electrical signal. Copy speeds in excess of 100 timesrealtime duplication have been reported.

A tape replication technique has been developed as a method forduplicating a recorded tape on which a signal was recorded earlier(hereafter referred to as a master tape) onto a blank tape on which nosignal has been recorded (hereafter referred to as a copy tape). Whenthis tape replication technique is implemented, the magnetic mediumsurface of a master tape is pressed toward the magnetic medium surfaceof a copy tape, and an external magnetic field or heat is applied to anoverlapping area. As a result, a reversed image (i.e., mirror image) ofthe signal recording pattern recorded on the master tape is formed onthe magnetic medium surface of the copy tape, and the duplication isthus completed. If the aforementioned transfer duplication technique isimplemented, duplication can be carried out quite efficiently even ifvideo tapes and PCM recording tapes on which complicated signalrecording patterns have been impressed are employed, since the transferis carried out by simultaneously transporting the master tape and copytape.

It is desirable to use a system which does not require a step ofrewinding the master tape after it has been recorded once. For thispurpose the master tape should be made of an endless loop. An example ofarrangements for transporting such an endless-loop master tape wasdisclosed in a Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open Publication No.54-72513. In this arrangement, a loop bin is provided virtuallyperpendicular to a panel base so as to contain the master tape in azigzag line in parts of the transport course. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,213,159and 4,698,701 each disclose a tape transporting device wherein the frontand rear ends of a master tape are connected to form an endless loop anda copy tape is transported between a pair of reels, i.e., a feeding reeland a winding reel. In these arrangements, the endless master tape iscontinually fed into a loop bin and is piled on top of itself in anoverlapping or zigzag fashion. This creates a problem. The lower part ofthe master tape piled at the bottom of the loop bin can become creasedand distorted since the lower part of the piled tape cannot endure theweight of the upper piled part of the master tape. The problem isparticularly noticeable in tape duplication systems. This is because thecopy tape is produced as the master tape is distorted.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved loop binfor an endless master tape in a contact printing system that minimizesthe above-mentioned defects.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a loop bin for storing a portion of an endlesstape in a zigzag configuration. The loop bin comprises an inlet forreceiving the tape portion and an outlet from which the tape portion canbe drawn out. At least one tape transport mechanism divides an inside ofthe loop bin into levels. Each tape transport mechanism is generallyhorizontal. Each transport mechanism is for continuously transportingthe zigzag tape portion on each level. Each transport mechanismcomprises at least one drive roller, at least one rotatable roller andat least one belt around the rollers.

In the preferred embodiment, there are three transport mechanismsdividing the loop bin into three levels. Further, each transportmechanism further comprises a plurality of rotatable rollers havinggrooves interconnected by a plurality of belts in the grooves. Each ofthe two highest transport mechanisms has a rotatable guide pole at itsdownstream end. The lowest transport mechanism is generally along abottom of the loop bin. The highest mechanism has a part which ismovable between two positions such that when the part is in a loweredposition the tape portion is adapted to travel on all three mechanismsand when the part is in a raised position the tape portion bypasses thehigher two mechanisms, falls on the lowest mechanism, and is transportedin a zigzag fashion thereon generally in the direction of the loop binoutlet. The middle mechanism extends beyond an end of the highestmechanism to receive the tape portion that falls from the end of thehighest mechanism. The lowest mechanism extends beyond an end of themiddle mechanism to receive the tape portion that falls from the middlemechanism end. The rollers of the highest and lowest mechanisms rotatein a first direction and the rollers of the middle mechanism rotate in asecond direction so that tape transported by the top and bottommechanisms travels generally in one direction and tape transported onthe middle mechanism travels generally in the opposite direction.

The above-described loop bin can be used in a magnetic tape recordingsystem which produces a reversed image of the image on an endless mastertape onto a copy tape. The system includes a contact printing stationfor receiving the tapes and producing the reversed image, a supply reelfor supplying the copy tape, a rewind reel for rewinding the copy tape,copy tape tension detection and control means, master tape tension andcontrol means, tape drive means for transporting the tapes, and the loopbin.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention can be more fully understood from the following detaileddescription thereof taken in connection with accompanying drawings whichform a part of this application and in which:

FIG. 1 is a front view of a tape duplicating system comprising a contactprinting station, a copy tape, an endless master tape, and a loop bin ofthe present invention for a portion of the master tape.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of part of a master tape transport mechanismwithin the loop bin.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT(S)

Throughout the following detailed description, similar referencenumerals refer to similar elements in all Figures of the drawings.

FIG. 1 is an illustration of a front view of a loop bin 14 of thepresent invention in a tape duplicating system. The loop bin 14 is shownon a lower part of FIG. 1. A numeral 1 indicates a panel base, which isinstalled substantially perpendicular to a floor. A numeral 2 indicatesa master tape of long length in an endless loop fashion. The master tape2 can be turned counterclockwise through a route that includes the loopbin 14 and a contact printing station 100. The contact printing station100 is shown on an upper part of FIG. 1.

The contact printing station 100 comprises an energy applying means 102and a pressure applying means 8 and 70. The energy applying means can bea heat source, such as a laser, a magnetic field or other means. Thepressure applying means comprises an air cap 70 and a backup or transferroller 8. The master tape 2 is transported between the air cap 70 andthe backup roller 8. A numeral 30 indicates a copy tape, which can betransported at a certain constant speed from a supply reel 31 to arewind reel 41 and between the air cap 70 and the backup roller 8 as inthe course of the travelling route of the master tape 2. The copy tape30 is printed on when it is superimposed on the master tape 2 at thecontact printing station 100. The master tape 2 also can be transportedat the same speed as the copy tape by intimately contacting the copytape 30 with the master tape 2 in the contact printing station anddriving one or both of the tapes.

The parts of the preferred embodiment of the present invention will nowbe described. The loop bin 14 is made up of guide rails 50, 51, 52, 53,54, and 55, and tape transport mechanisms 63, 64, 65. The guide rails50, 51, 52, 53, 54, and 55 are made of bands or strips of wider widththan the master tape 2 which are supported on the panel base 1.Referring to FIG. 1, the guide rail 52 can be moved between a position52a shown by solid lines and a position 52b shown by dotted lines. Anumeral 56 indicates a glass plate, which is provided on the guide rails50, 51, 52, 53, 54, and 55, thereby forming a space between the plate 56and the base 1 in which the master tape 2 can be contained. There areprovided tape inlet blocks 90 and 91. The master tape 2 can be put intothe loop bin 14 from a tape inlet 92 provided between the tape inletblocks 90 and 91. There also is provided between the guide rail 54 and55 a tape outlet 93 from which the master tape 2 can be drawn out fromthe loop bin 14.

Tape transport mechanisms 63, 64, and 65 are provided so as to dividethe inside of the loop bin 14 into three substantially horizontalsections or levels. FIG. 2 is an enlarged partial view of one of thetape transport mechanisms 63, 64 and 65 as looked downward in FIG. 1.Each of the tape transport mechanisms 63, 64, and 65 is made up of adrive roller 73, a plurality of rotatable rollers 66 and a plurality ofbelts 57. The rotatable rollers 66 are provided in a line on the panelbase 1. Each of the rotatable rollers 66 has five belt grooves 60provided thereon with equal distances between adjacent grooves. Each ofthe belts 57 is made up of circular rubber or the like, having acircular cross-section. The belts 57 are put on the belt grooves 60 ofthe rotatable rollers 66 as shown. Specifically, every other roller 66has a belt 57 in each of its five grooves 60. Three of the five belts57, the middle belt and the two end belts, extend in a first and thesame direction, either upstream or downstream of the tape, past andcontacting sides of an adjacent roller 66, to and around correspondinggrooves of the next roller 66. The other two of the five belts 57 extendthe opposite direction in comparison to the first direction, past andcontacting sides of an adjacent roller 66, to and around correspondinggrooves of the next roller 66.

A drive roller 73, which is provided at a right end in FIG. 1 of eachone of the tape transport mechanisms 63, 64, and 65, can be rotated at acertain constant speed by a motor. The rotational power of the driveroller 73 is successively transmitted to the rotatable rollers 66through the belts 57, which can transport the master tape 2 piledthereon in a zigzag fashion. A part of the tape transport mechanism 63can move between a position 62a indicated by a solid line in FIG. 1 andposition 62b indicated by a dotted line also in FIG. 1, depending on thelength of the master tape 2.

There are provided guide poles 67, 68 and 69 that can be rotated. Guidepole 67 is at a lower end of guide rail 51. Guide pole 68 is at theright end of tape transport mechanism 63 in FIG. 1. Guide pole 69 is atthe left end of tape transport mechanism 64 in FIG. 1. These guide polescan effectively function when the master tape 2 is first started intothe loop bin 14 before the tape transport mechanisms 63, 64, and 65 areactivated by rotating the drive rollers 73 or when the master tape 2 ispulled out of the loop bin 14 after the drive rollers 73 are turned off.Without the guide poles 67, 68 and 69, the master tape 2 on the tapetransport mechanisms 63 and 64 may not be able to be pulled out of thetape outlet 93 due to the friction of the master tape 2 with the belts57. With the aid of the guide poles 67, 68. and 69, the master tape 2can be readily pulled out and not caught by the belts 57 even when thebelts 57 are stopped.

The following describes the upper section of FIG. 1. Numerals 5, 7, 9,11, 15, 17, and 19 indicate guide rollers that are all rotatably mountedon axes perpendicular to the panel base 1. Numerals 16 and 18 indicatebrake rollers that also are rotatably mounted on axes perpendicular tothe panel base. The brake rollers 16 and 18 can exert a resistance toturning. Numerals 6 and 10 indicate master tape tension detection meansthat are mounted movably in an arc line in parallel with the panel base1 for detection of tension of the master tape 2. Numerals 3 and 12indicate master tape capstans that can be rotated by respective motorsto provide a certain constant tension of the master tape 2 under controlof the master tape tension detection means 6 and 10. Numerals 4 and 13indicate master tape pinch rollers that can press the master tape 2 tothe respective master tape capstans 3 and 12 to make the master tape 2run.

Numerals 32, 34, 35, 38, and 40 indicate guide rollers that arerotatably mounted on axes perpendicular to the panel base 1. Numerals 33and 39 indicate copy tape tension detection means that are mountedmovably in an arc line in parallel with the panel base 1 for detectionof tension of the copy tape 30. The supply reel 31 and the rewind reel41 can be rotated by respective motors to provide a certain constanttension of the copy tape 30 under control of the copy tape tensiondetection means 33 and 39. A numeral 36 indicates a copy tape capstanthat can be rotated at a certain constant speed by a motor. A numeral 37indicates a copy tape pinch roller that can press the copy tape 30 tothe copy tape capstan 36 to transport the copy tape 30.

As can be seen from the above description, there are provided fourindependent control systems. Tape tensions can be detected by thetension detection means 6, 10, 33, and 39, the results of which are usedto control the master tape capstans 3 and 12, the supply reel 31 and therewind reel 41, respectively. This assures that the master tape 2 andthe copy tape 30 can be kept at certain constant tensions at the contactprinting station 100.

Air cap 70 is mounted on the panel base 1. The air cap 70 blastscompressed air to the backup roller 8. A numeral 71 indicates a cylinderretaining block that is mounted on the panel base 1 to rotatably holdthe backup roller 8.

The following describes operation of the preferred embodiment in anorder of the running route of the endless-loop master tape 2. The mastertape 2 can be fed into the loop bin 14 by the master tape capstan 12 andthe master tape pinch roller 13. The master tape 2 can fall in betweenthe guide rails 50 and 51. For a long master tape, a movable part of thetape transport mechanism 63 is positioned at solid line 62a, and theguide rail 52 is positioned at solid line 52a. The master tape 2 can betransported by the tape transport mechanism 63 in the zigzag fashion.The piled master tape 2 can be piled on the tape transport mechanism 63toward the guide pole 68 between the guide rail 53 and the tapetransport mechanism 63. The piled master tape 2 can fall onto the tapetransport mechanism 64 from the guide pole 68. In turn, the master tape2 can be transported toward the guide pole 69 between the tape transportmechanism 63 and 64. The master tape 2 can fall onto the tape transportmechanism 65 from the guide pole 69. In turn, the master tape 2 can betransported toward the guide rail 55 between the tape transportmechanisms 64 and 65. When the master tape 2 reaches the guide rail 55,it can be drawn out of the loop bin 14.

In general, the length of the master tape 2 may vary, and the mastertape 2 has to be uniformly dispersed on the tape transport mechanisms63, 64, and 65. This can be done in a way that the transport speed ofthe master tape 2, that is, the rotational speed of the drive roller(s)73, can be adjusted depending on the length of the master tape 2. If thelength of the master tape 2 is too short to use all three tape transportmechanisms 63, 64 and 65, then the movable part of the tape transportmechanism 63 can be moved from the solid line position 62a to the dottedline position 62b, and the guide rail 52 can be moved from the solidline position 52a to the dotted line position 52b. In this state, themaster tape 2 in the loop bin 14 can be piled onto the tape transportmechanism 65 in the zigzag fashion between the guide rails 50 and 52b.The piled master tape 2, in turn, can be transported toward the guiderail 55 by the tape transport mechanism 65.

After being drawn out of the loop bin 14, the master tape 2 can betransported to the capstan 3 past the guide roller 15, the brake roller16, guide rollers 17, the brake roller 18, and the guide roller 19. Thebrake rollers 16 and 18 have some resistance to rotating. This can givea tension to the master tape 2 that is freely drawn, i.e., withouttension, out of the loop bin 14. The capstan 3 can be controlled so thatthe tension detected by the master tape tension detection means 6 can bekept constant. The master tape 2 can be fed by the guide roller 5, themaster tape tension detection means 6, and the guide rollers 7 and canbe superimposed at the contact printing station 100 onto the copy tape30 running at the same constant speed. The master tape 2 can be fed atthe same speed as the copy tape 30 by driving one of the tapes as aresult of the friction between the tapes at the contact printingstation. The master tape 2, further, can be fed into the loop bin 14again from the contact printing station 100 through the guide rollers 9,the master tape tension detection means 10, the guide roller 11, thecapstan 12, and the pinch roller 13. The capstan 12 can be controlled sothat the tension detected by the master tape tension detection means 10can be kept constant.

In turn, the following describes operation of the preferred embodimentin an order of the running route of the copy tape 30. The copy tape 30having a long length wound on the supply reel 31 can be transported tothe contact printing station 100 past the guide rollers 32, the copytape tension detection means 33, and the guide rollers 34. The supplyreel 31 can be controlled so that the tension detected by the copy tapetension detection means 31 can be kept constant. The copy tape 30 is fedfrom the contact printing station 100 by the guide roller 38, the copytape tension detection means 39, and the guide rollers 40, and then canbe wound on the rewind reel 41. The copy tape pinch roller 37 pressesthe copy tape 30 to the copy tape capstan 36 revolving a certainconstant speed to transport the copy tape 30. The rewind reel 41 can becontrolled so that the tension detected by the copy tape tensiondetection means 39 can be kept constant.

In the preferred embodiment, the inside of the loop bin 14 is dividedinto three generally horizontal paths by locating the transportmechanisms 63 and 64 spaced from one another and from the lowesttransport mechanism 65. The master tape 2 can be continuouslytransported on all three cascading levels in a zigzag pattern on eachmechanism. This design has been referred to as a cascading loop bin. Thenumber of the tape transport mechanisms can be changed depending on thelength of the master tape 2 and the number of the paths desired in theloop bin 14.

As can be seen from the above description of the loop bin according tothe present invention, the master tape piled in the zigzag fashion onthe tape transport mechanism(s) can be moved substantially horizontallyby the tape transport mechanism(s) before much of the tape can pile up.The master tape, therefore, can be dispersed in a wider section in theloop bin. This results in reduction of load applied to the lowest partsof the piled master tape.

Also, in the above-described embodiment, each of the tape transportmechanisms has one drive roller 73 and a plurality of rotatable rollers66 arranged in a line, which are connected by a plurality of belts 57.It should be noted, however, that one or more of the tape transportmechanisms can be made up of one drive roller, one rotation roller, anda belt, e.g., a flat belt, connecting the two rollers only.Alternatively, the tape transport mechanism can have a plurality ofdrive rollers and a plurality of rotatable rollers connected by one ormore belts.

Further, it is not necessary that the loop bin be perpendicular to thefloor, but it can be inclined to a degree while maintaining the effectsof the present invention.

As described above, the loop bin according to the present invention canachieve such an effect that it can prevent the master tape from beingbent or distorted even if a master tape of long length is contained inthe loop bin. This results in such an advantage that the signalsreprinted on the copy tape can be free or substantially free ofdistortion due to creases in the master tape. This means that thequality of the copy tape can be improved. In addition, the master tapeitself can be made to provide a long service life as it can be protectedfrom injury.

Those skilled in the art, having the benefit of the teachings of thepresent invention as hereinabove set forth, can effect numerousmodifications thereto. These modifications are to be construed as beingencompassed within the scope of the present invention as set forth inthe appended claims.

We claim:
 1. In a magnetic tape recording system of the type having acontact printing station for receiving a copy tape and an endless mastertape and producing a reversed image of the image on the master tape ontothe copy tape, a supply reel for supplying the copy tape, a rewind reelfor rewinding the copy tape, copy tape tension detection and controlmeans, master tape tension detection and control means, tape drivingmeans for transporting the tapes, and a loop bin for storing a portionof the master tape in a zigzag fashion, the loop bin having an inlet andan outlet, the improvement which comprises:means capable of dividing theloop bin into cascading levels for continuously transporting the zigzagmaster tape portion on each level, wherein said means for transportingcomprises at least one drive roller and a plurality of rotatable rollershaving grooves interconnected by a plurality of belts in the grooves. 2.In a magnetic tape recording system of the type having a contactprinting station for receiving a copy tape and an endless master tapeand producing a reversed image of the image on the master tape onto thecopy tape, a supply reel for supplying the copy tape, a rewind reel forrewinding the copy tape, copy tape tension detection and control means,master tape tension detection and control means, tape driving means fortransporting the tapes, and a loop bin for storing a portion of themaster tape in a zigzag fashion, the loop bin having an inlet and anoutlet, the improvement which comprises:means capable of dividing theloop bin into cascading levels for continuously transporting the zigzagmaster tape portion on each level, wherein said means for transportingis a generally horizontal transport mechanism and comprises a rotatableguide pole at a downstream end of said transport mechanism.
 3. In amagnetic tape recording system of the type having a contact printingstation for receiving a copy tape and an endless master tape andproducing a reversed image of the image on the master tape onto the copytape, a supply reel for supplying the copy tape, a rewind reel forrewinding the copy tape, copy tape tension detection and control means,master tape tension detection and control means, tape driving means fortransporting the tapes, and a loop bin for storing a portion of themaster tape in a zigzag fashion, the loop bin having an inlet and anoutlet, the improvement which comprises:means capable of dividing theloop bin into cascading levels for continuously transporting the zigzagmaster tape portion on each level, wherein said means for transportingcomprises three generally horizontal transport mechanisms, saidmechanisms further comprising a first mechanism generally along a bottomof the loop bin, a second mechanism generally above the first mechanismand a third mechanism generally above the second mechanism, and whereinsaid second mechanism extends beyond an end of said third mechanism toreceive the tape portion that falls from the end of said thirdmechanism; and said first mechanism extends beyond an end of said secondmechanism to receive the tape portion that falls from the end of saidsecond mechanism.